“Yes, I?—”
“Time runs short,” she said. Though her words were urgent, a smile shone on her face so brightly, it was as if she glowed from the inside. “It’s time to see my mate. We’ve been apart since our sacrifice, but my life force remained here.” She waved a hand around the forest. “Bound to empower the one foretold to save us all. Now that my role here is complete, I will get to see him again in whatever comes next.” She cupped my cheeks. “You are the one, Illiana. I sensed it just as Jasper and I sensed what needed to happen to allow Atheria a chance.”
“What if you’re wrong?” I twisted my hands in front of me, my breath shaky.
She smiled, taking them in hers. “I’m never wrong, certainly not anymore.” She winked as she handed me the journal. “You were given a mate whose magic strengthens your own. You will need to rely on those you love for what’s to come. It won’t be easy. The loss you will feel may shatter you, but this world will be reborn. Just know, it is you who will save Atheria. Defeat Thames. Bring light to our land and heal what’s been torn.”
She started fading away, but I wasn’t ready. There were too many questions still unanswered, and a small part of me wanted to cling to her, the only person in my family left, even if she was just a spirit. To keep her here, so that it wasn’t time for the end to come. Not knowing what I’d lose felt too great a burden to bear.
“I’m not ready,” I called out, rising to chase the beams of light coming from her as she disappeared farther into the sun’s golden glow.
“Read the journal and remember.” Her body almost faded out entirely. But I heard the echo of her words loudly surrounding us. “You are Illiana Dresden, and you are stronger than any darkness.”
With that, she vanished.
I fell to my knees, letting the weight of all Evelyn told us lay heavy on me.
Kade kneeled as well. Then Ian, followed by Jax. My chosen family. The ones who supported me, loved me, even if I hadn’t known some of them for very long. Time meant nothing, it was their presence that would give me strength.
“We’re all meant to be here, beside you Lan,” Ian said. “The things you will face will be met by all of us. Never on your own.” He grabbed my hand, kissing it before bringing it to his chest.
“I know,” I whispered.
Jax gripped my shoulder and squeezed. “Also, we learned that the two of you are definitely not related by blood. Which is a definite bonus we didn’t know we needed.”
“What is wrong with you,” I laughed, feeling lighter from his antics, just like always.
His knowing smile confirmed he did these things on purpose.
“So…” He heaved out a heavy sigh. “Should we head home to tell the others we’ve got an epic job ahead of us, and if we don’t get rid of all of the darkness that's infected half our world, Thames will live on in evil infamy?”
It wasn’t hard to convince Kade to let me ride with him back to camp.
While my horse followed, loosely tied to Onyx, I cautiously opened the journal, unlacing the thin leather ties.
My fingers quivered as I ran them over the binding of the well-worn journal. My mother had touched this, written in it. All of my ancestors pouring information in for me to find one day. Me being some kind of chosen one still seemed outrageous, but my light magic, the prophecies—I had no choice but to believe it.
Instead of starting at the beginning, I immediately flipped to the back. My mother’s words would be the last in the book, and I had to read them. I wanted to know her, even if it was only this small piece of her.
I flipped a few blank pages and froze when I saw elegant handwriting. The last entry was only one page.
From the Hand of Fallon:
There’s a sickness in our land, festering. Each day I feel it growing, shifting closer. Seb woke me from a nightmare last night. There had been blood everywhere. Hauntingly angry faces surrounded me as I weakened on the floor of our home.
It wasn’t real, and yet…I can’t help but know my time here is coming to an end. The Fates are at work, as much as I hate their cruelty for placing the future in Illiana’s hands. Since this journal will be passed to her, I write to you now, my beautiful girl.
I gasped, chest tightening through the tears blurring my vision as I continued reading.
You will face a world that doesn’t understand why you are magicless, but I know you will rise above. You are who Atheria has been waiting for. I know that I won’t be here to see you shine, but know that I already see the woman you’ll become. I swear when you were born, the sunlight streamed through the bedroom in a halo around you—ask Alister, he was there—and we all fell in love with you immediately. But be warned, he’ll cry telling the story.
Wherever you are in your life when you read this, know that you were loved. Truly, unconditionally loved. I am proud of you. If my time has come and I’m not with you, know that I have convinced the Fates and whoever lies beyond to watch every step of your life. Rise up, my heart, and shine. I love you.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach, holding myself together. My entire body physically hurt, aching at the thought that my mother knew she wouldn’t live. I reread the words again, clinging to them like a lifeline.
“Lana?” Kade asked, his shadows covering my arms, holding me tightly to him.
“She wrote to me,” I whispered. “She thought she might not survive and wrote to me.”
